Boheme
by Mark Meredith
Summary: Cohen sat down with a small "trade paperback" book at his own side of the sofa where Cohen usually sat. Roger was perched at his "love seat" already as usually. Roger was reading a hard-cover booklet that was thin; a "libretto" is what you'd call it.


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Phone Extension: 3372

Roger's Bohem`e Fireside Story,

by

Walter Meredith

Cohen sat down with a small "trade paperback" book at his own side of the sofa where Cohen usually sat. Roger was perched at his "love seat" already as usually. Roger was reading a hard-cover booklet that was thin; a "libretto" is what you'd call it "technic'ly". On the leather faux cover was "emblazoned" the silvery word, BOHEME`." He gave the softcover book of Cohen's an annoyed look, Roger did, and read in Roger's own mind silently the words on the cover of the "thicker book", La "Scenes De La Vie De Boheme`." Roger glanced, then, at the eyes of Roger's friend Cohen that "consumed" every word of the thicker book, one by one. He finally said to his friend, Cohen, "I can't believe you're still reading the long old thing, De La Vie Boheme. What a huge Crock Pot of poop, that book" – ! ...

Sitting on the side of the couch he always sat on Cohen looked over from Cohen's soft cover trade paper-back with a side-ways glance. He (Cohen) said, "how can you even say that? De La Vie Boheme is what BOHEME` is based on"—! ...

Roger argued, "Yah, yeh, yeah, but BOHEME` is more well known as an opera" ….

Roger's "good friend" snarky as before replied, "I don't see how 'my good friend Roger' can read that opera over and over just because 'Roger' likes the plot so when he can live in the story line moment for moment longer by reading De La Vie De Boheme. The book has more scenes more details and is longer. The novel is the original version of what the opera is ."…

Mimi was at the stove-length-log burning stove in the kitchen and walked over to in front of where Roger was, saying, "Stop arguing about BOHEM`E and De La Vie De Boheme over again, you two …. I thought yesterday was going to be the last time, Roger."

Roger said, "… There is no future, there is no past, I live this moment as my last, remember –? – That means I never made the promise, beside he's still poring over every detail because Cohen's writing a movie script for La Vie De Boheme. He should just read it fast, that way La Vie De Boheme is more succinct and to the point".

Then Cohen said, "Oh shut your cake-hole, Roger—Roger just likes BOHEME` because it's a musical opera" …. .

Mimi said, "I don't even know what the differences are between La De Vie De Boheme and the opera BOHEM`E. How can I be a jury to get you two guys to agree to a verdict if I don't understand the Italian language Pavarotti sings in the old records you play on that antique record player you own Roger—?— I mean, I read the first chapter in the book you didn't finish, which was a modernization of La De Vie De La Boheme, Cohen—but that's all you wrote so far".

Cohen said, "Then read my script, now. I've got farther on the movie script …."

Roger said, "No, because the script is as to-the point as the opera script! Quit trying to 'sway' the jury, Cohen! She's already read through your book chapter—!—It's only fair that I tell Mimi, now – about how the musical opera goes in story form. The musical opera BOHEM`E in my own words"….

Then Cohen replied, "That sounds fair to me. OK, then. That's fine by me".

Mimi, then—said, "Yah, but Cohen's book was interesting because it was modernized, I hate to admit. I get bored when I listen to the opera songs from BOHEM`E because they are spoken in Italian. I can't understand the songs from BOHEME.` BOHEME` doesn't have anything to do with my life, or am I just wrong?"

Roger said, "Of course it doesn't seem to 'have nothing' to do with modern life because it's in Italian. I will tell this story in a way that we both can understand best ….

When you know what they actually are sayin' in our language, I think you'll find there are similarities between BOHEM`E and our life. That's why that song 'Mussetta's Waltz' keeps going through my mind, because of my nervous breakdown because of April's suicide and my writer's block reminds me of the beginning of BOHEME` when Rudolpho can't write all day. Imagine an artists' studio just like this one. Marcello is painting at an easel. Rudolpho is at an open window smoking a cigar. Marcello speaks finally, 'This Crossing of the Red Sea painting makes an onlooker feel the damp cold of the sea. The painting makes you feel like there's a waterfall pouring down your back but I will keep painting until I have drowned 'this Pharaoh –!' ... What are you doing Rudolpho' –?" ...

"Rudolpho says, 'I am lazily rising this morning. Look at the wood burning stove. That lazy asshole is shirking his job today. He's content to lay there doing nothing!'"

"Marcello said, 'Should we burn another of my paintings for warmth'"?

"Then Rudolpho says, 'No, remember how much it fuckin' stank the last time we did that-'- ?"

"Marcello cried out, 'Perhaps breaking this chair will make firewood for both of us –!'! –Marcello picked the chair up and 'whipped' it up over Marcello's head to smash it on the floor. Rudolpho held on to the wooden chair and said, 'I have a better idea'—!—He then went to the windows and Rudolpho soon 'loped' back with a book manuscript …. It was then that Rudolpho said, 'We will burn this book –!'—"

"Marcello says. 'Meanwhile we are without 'girl'friends and cold with no women to keep us warm.'"

"Marcello then had crumpled the title page into their Edison Stove, striking a match and then saying as he held the match under the crumpled paper, 'The book has the spark of wit ' –!"—

"Rudolpho threw eight pages into the flames, saying, 'There go the love scenes. You can feel the 'ardent' warmth of their holding each other.'"

"Marcello throws another page into the fire saying, '… you hear the popping of the burning paper—?—Those are 'the smacking' of kisses!'"

"Rudolpho says, 'I can feel the warmth of their cuddling afterward! I hope he doesn't just roll over and fall asleep-'-!"—

"Colline enters the apartment door, stomping the snow from Colline's feet and the numbness also. Colline says then, 'You guys are starting a fire? … Guys 'r' starting a fire without me—?—I'm insulted—!—What are you burning'?"

"Marcello said in reply, 'The book they sent back to me and rejected" ….

"Colline slowly walked over, half out of disbelief bending low to look into the furnace, saying out loud to himself, 'This book is a very 'bright' work'! …. .

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End file.
